Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
"Ecology" and "environment" may seem synonymous concepts, and in fact on many occasions we use them interchangeably. Without going any further, environmental and ecological care allude to the same idea of protecting nature.
However, there are significant differences that we must know to be able to use them properly and better understand the contexts in which they are used because, despite their similarities, the difference between ecology and environment It is important. Next, in Green Ecologist we reveal the details about their main differences.
Definition of ecology
If we go to the dictionary, its own in these cases, we find that the RAE guides us on the meaning of the word "ecology" when it alludes in its first meaning to "The science that studies the relationships of living beings with each other and with their environment." The second meaning, on the other hand, includes the sociological concept, in which it refers to the relationship between groups and their environment understood from a broad approach. A third meaning of the word "ecology", also of interest to us, speaks of "Defense and protection of nature and the environment".
That is to say, on the one hand ecology is a science that studies the different relationships that are established between living beings and between them with their environment, while on the other hand it guides this study towards their protection.
Definition of environment
For its part, the RAE defines the word environment from a biological point of view, as "the set of circumstances or conditions outside a living being that influence its development and activities", as mentioned in its ninth meaning.
That is, environment is everything that surrounds us and, if we want to give it a broad meaning, we can also use the word environmental, although it would transcend the natural to encompass our environment in a general way, including culture or social values.
Difference between ecology and environment
So, by way of summary, this is the main difference between ecology and environment, according to the definitions that we have commented previously.
- Ecology: The science that studies the relationships between living things and their environment is known by this name.
- Environment: it is the environment itself, that is, it is the system that surrounds living beings. It is made up of both natural and artificial elements that are related to each other or interrelated and that can be modified.
In this way, we can see that the concept of "environment" is contained within the definition of "ecology". This means that the concept of "ecology" is broader than that of "environment", although both aspects are extremely important.
If you want to read more articles similar to Differences between ecology and environment, we recommend that you enter our category of Other ecology.
